Beyond Economic and Educated: Reconceptualising Skill in EU Migration Policy Through Contextual Adaptability

Academic research and policy discussions commonly define ‘skill’ in migration through the lens of formal qualifications, focusing almost exclusively on economic migrants with tertiary educations. Our systematic review of scholarly literature on skilled migration to, from, and within the EU+ confirms this empirical pattern, revealing a persistent narrowing of the concept. This narrow framing has been widely critiqued within migration studies, particularly for its exclusion of refugees, family migrants, and those whose skills lie outside conventional educational metrics. In response to both these findings and the critical debate, we propose a novel reconceptualisation of ‘skill’ that incorporates the notion of contextual adaptability, a migrant's ability to translate and apply their competencies within specific socio-cultural and economic environments. This multidimensional framework more accurately reflects the diversity of migrant experiences and offers a more inclusive basis for EU migration policy.